Ollie Watkins, who had criticized Troy Deeney for his recent on-air performances, launched a fresh jab at the player after Aston Villa’s 2-0 victory over Arsenal.
Ivan Toney, a Villa player who Deeney described as “a winger trying to be a striker,” will be included in Deeney’s England squad ahead of Watkins, he stated in a live talkSPORT interview on March 27.
On April 14, the attacker gave Villa their second goal of the match as Unai Emery’s team won 2-0 at the Emirates despite only managing 0.94 xG. [Sofascore]
Following his score in the win, Watkins took a swipe at Deeney on his Instagram account, writing, “Not bad for a winger trying to be a striker,” along with a snide emoji.
Ollie Watkins bites back at Troy Deeney in Aston Villa win v Arsenal
What better way to silence your doubters than to defeat title rivals 2-0 on the road while scoring a stunning goal? Watkins’ performance was the icing on the cake, proving Deeney incorrect once more.
After firing three shots off target and hitting the post with another, he attempted to finally find his range late in the game. His second goal of the game was a chipped attempt over David Raya. [Sofascore]
His form in front of goal was on top of an impressive all-around display in which the striker recorded two key passes, won four of his six attempted ground duels, drew two fouls, made two tackles and recorded a 73 per cent pass accuracy as he gave the Arsenal defenders plenty of problems.
Those stats are just one example of how good he has been this season in the Premier League, with only Erling Haaland and Cole Palmer scoring more.
With a goal conversion of 25% though, Watkins is outperforming the Norweigan star at Manchester City in that regard, impressive when you consider his record [BBC].
With four goals scored in his last three games, Watkins is showing up when it matters most for Villa. Despite Deeney’s criticism and attempt to aim jabs at Villa, the forward is showing Gareth Southgate exactly why he must go to the Euros.
